Malawi quarantines Coronavirus suspects

Malawi has reportedly quarantined a Chinese national travelling from Wuhan, China, after showing early signs of the Coronavirus outbreak.

A report by one of the local online outlets alleges he has been quarantined together with a Malawian student based in China of the global epediemic

The two people are being monitored by health authorities a few days after the country was accused of adopting a lackluster position at monitoring the outbreak at Malawi’s main points of entry as recommended by the WHO.

“The Secretary for Health Dr. Dan Namarika , Ministry of Health Spokesperson and vehicles from the Ministry of Health were spotted touring the Airport where the health authorities have stepped up screening efforts following our report exposing some lapses at the arrival terminals.

The publication, iHUB claims that the Malawian arrived in the country through Ethiopian Airlines, while the Chinese national arrived on a South African Airways plane.

However, Ministry of Health Spokesperson Joshua Malango said the quarantine were part of measures the country has put in place which include isolating all people who had been to China.

“We have implemented new regulations [that] make it mandatory to put on observation anyone traveling from China,” Malango has been quoted as saying.

World Health Organisation estimates show that 14,557 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed, with China reporting diagnosing 14,411 cases. As of today, 305 people have died of the virus. Only one person outside of China has died of the virus.

WHO has issued a warning of a possible global outbreak of the never-before-seen virus first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Malawi’s Ambassador to China, Charles Namondwe, told local media that 57 Malawians are currently trapped in the Coronavirus ground zero.